SCOTTS VALLEY -- Just about everything played out right for the Santa Cruz High boys basketball team in its 56-39 win over Aptos in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Tournament semifinals at Scotts Valley on Thursday night.

The Cardinals will now take on Soquel in the tournament championship on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Kaiser Permanente Arena in downtown Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz guard Kiree Hutchings was stoked to move on in the tournament and play the Knights for a shot at a league title.

"We've got to play with the same intensity," he said. "That's really important. And we have to play tight 'D' because they're all shooters. We have to get our open baskets too because we weren't finishing in the first half."

The game was a defensive battle in the first half as both teams struggled to get shots to go in the hoop. However, Hutchings got things cooking in the second quarter and scored nine straight points, finishing with 11 by halftime.

"In the first half we were playing tight and everyone was playing their role, but we had to build up the intensity," Hutchings said. "I had to start bringing my intensity too and, when I did that, it got everyone all riled up."

Other key players that were a vital role in the win was forward Thatcher Sammet, who finished with 11 points and five rebounds, while Kobi Underwood managed to rack up eight points with seven rebounds.

Aptos looked to avenge its two losses to Santa Cruz but there was too much defensive pressure from the white and red, and turnovers eventually killed any kind of momentum the Mariners were trying to start.

Mariners guard Rewyn Reyes had a big impact in the first two quarters after he scored nine points and kept his team within reach of the Cardinals, but he was ultimately shut out in the second half. Aptos center Cole Welle came alive in the fourth quarter and tied with Reyes for a team-high nine points.

The Cardinals went on a 7-0 run with five minutes left in the third quarter to build a nine-point lead. After Santa Cruz took a commanding 35-24 cushion, there was no turning back for Hutchings and his squad.

And a half-court shot by guard Walker Nodine at the end of the third quarter pretty much summed up what kind of game the Cardinals had on Thursday night. But it's not over yet.

Santa Cruz coach Patrick Jones knows what his team needs to do in order to become victorious on Saturday night.

"We're going to have to continue to play good defense," he said. "Soquel can really break you down and they don't make a lot of mistakes. If we can contain their ball handlers, keep them out of the lane, and force them to shoot jumpers with a hand in their face, it's the formulated way to win anything."